Page 7 - Anti-Racism Pocketbook for Schools
P. 7

Understanding Racial Prejudice

            Racism and racial prejudice is often shown through the behaviour

            and attitudes that we express to others. With this country’s
            history of slavery, colonialism, and the constant marginalisation

            of ethnic people, these behaviours and attitudes have

            unfortunately become severely ingrained into the fabric of the UK

            society.

            In our society, white is the default standard that we see. Imagine

            you are walking through Primark because you need to find a nude

            set of leggings or you are walking through the pharmacy because
            you are looking for nude band aids to cover scars, the immediate

            product that would be available under the term ‘nude’ would be

            white. For a lot of ethnically diverse people, it is frustrating that

            white is a default for nude when it should be a universal

            description for all shades of skin colours and people. This
            normative standard surrounding whiteness translates outside of

            clothing stores or pharmaceutical items.

            The dominance that surrounds the ideology of whiteness means

            that ethnic individuals are usually compared, judged, and made

            to feel inferior to the white population. This has subsequently

            caused white people to build a system that supports, promotes,

            and benefits them disproportionately to ethnically diverse
            individuals.


            This is why we often see conversations surrounding the topics of
            white supremacy, white silence, and white privilege. These

            interlocking discussions motive racism due to the fact that White

            people are able to continuously oppress and subject ethnically

            diverse people to harm without severe repercussions.










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